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17 August 2008

Two dangerous things. →[More:]
1) Linguine con Burro i Pomodori. Melt 1 stick of butter with two cloves of garlic. When the butter is frothy and smells of garlic, add a can of high quality tomatoes*. Let simmer for 20 minutes to let the tomatoes reduce. Toss with one package of cooked linguine. Call the cardiologist.

*I used sauce I'd made from homegrown tomatoes. It was already cooked down, so I didn't have to wait.

2) Cut string cheese* into halves the short way. Roll in flour. Dip in beaten egg. Roll in breadcrumbs mixed with Italian seasoning. Drop into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and eat with tomato sauce. Die.

It all sounds delicious, stew. I'll have some of that pasta for dinner, please.

I love cheese sticks. My hairdresser bought some from Sonic and she gave me a couple the last time I was in the salon. I flashed back to Red Lobster cheese sticks. They serve cheese sticks as a main entree at my kids' school. This is why I'm packing their lunches this year. Yummy but not so healthy.

I've read that the best homemade tomato sauce is based on butter, but I gotta say, it frightens me. Not because of the health factor but because butter and tomatoes... cooked together... I dunno. What is the consistency of the sauce like? Does it look greasy? Does it taste buttery? I'm curious.

The variation that I do is 1/2 to 3/4 of a stick of butter, a can of crushed tomatoes, half an onion (not chopped or anything, just put half an onion in the pan), and a bit of salt, put everything in the pan at the same time, and simmer for 45 minutes.

YUM!

It does taste buttery, but it's not greasy (well, once you stir it). A lot of recipes for other pasta sauces also suggest throwing in a tablespoon of butter at the end, once it's cooked, to add richness. Which is also YUM. (That tends to work best with sauces that have meat or fish in them, I think.)

It didn't look greasy at all (until I chilled it afterwards and you could see the butter). It's about 1/2 cup butter to 2 cups of tomato. I want to compare it to a tomato cream sauce, but without the mellowing that cream gives. The tomato tang is still strong, and the sauce is rich but not overwhelmingly so.

My absolute favorite pasta sauce ever, though, is equal portions of onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and black olives, all coarsely chopped, with a generous amount of minced garlic, in olive oil and butter. Basically, the recipe starts with a stick of butter, and you add olive oil as needed. Also, whatever herbs you prefer and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese while still in the pan. We like oregano, thyme, black pepper, and basil.

I've been known to add chopped fresh tomatoes, chicken, and shrimp, depending on what's in the fridge.

One of the nice things is that the ingredients are all things I tend to keep on hand. Added bonus is that, in it's plainest form, it's vegetarian.

I have to recommend a green salad and good bread if you have it, to keep the heart attacks at bay.